International Symposium – 8 December 2012

How to understand the so-called “Second-Generation Nationality Policy”?

After two decades of economic reforms, China is now under pressure to carry out political reforms. While no one is sure what political reforms might look like, there are indications that the current ‘nationality policy’ may be significantly modified. In fact, some modifications have already been carried out in the name of exercising the ‘right’ of making flexible alterations to the existing laws in regional autonomous areas as stipulated in China’s Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy. Therefore, unlike any other areas, the existing nationality policy has become a zone of exception where challenges and criticisms are tolerated, if not openly encouraged. Consequently, there have been calls for stipulation of what is called the ‘second generation nationality policy’ from both government officials and mainstream intellectual leaders.

This symposium brings together leading scholars on China’s nationality policies to ‘scan’ the unborn ‘second generation nationality policy’ in germination, and to highlight the importance of the nationality policy in its own right not only for understanding the changing nature of the Chinese multi-ethnic polity, but also for understanding the current political processes. More significantly, the symposium will examine whether and how any ‘political breakthrough’ may happen in the field of nationality policy and assess its implications for China’s ethnic relations and ethnic justice.

Date: Saturday, 8 December 2012 9:30～18:00

Organizers: Department of Intercultural Communications, University of Shiga Prefecture

Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit, University of Cambridge

Venue: Faculty Meeting Room, Floor 3, Main Building of the University of Shiga Prefecture

Preferential Care or Rights: Nationality Policy from the Perspective of Minority Nationalities

Wang Ke (Kobe University) 11:25～12: 05

Where is the “Tradition”? Rethinking the Nationality Policy from the Case of the “Hui Nationality” of the Bai Lineage in Guilin

Burensain Borjigin (University of Shiga Prefecture) 12:05～12:45

The Space for Manoeuvre within the Nationality Regional Autonomy: The Analysis and Practice of the Nationality Policy by an Autonomous County

Lunch Break 12：45～13：30

Zhang Haiyang (Minzu University of China) 13:30～14:10

A Centennial Review of the Social Transformation and Nationality Regional Autonomy in China: Examining the “Second-Generation Nationality Policy” in Comparison with the Foundational “Common Programme” and the Contract Responsibility System